Six Girls One School One Dream
by wallflower-rose
Summary: When 6 girls meet at Chestnut Hill, they have no idea of the bonds they will form together. Romance. Breaking Free. Following your heart. Fitting In. Living the Dream. These girls know it all.
1. Chapter 1

"Deep breaths, honey," said Veronica, turning off the highway onto a smaller, tree lined avenue. Haylee Parda gave her stepmom a nervous smile. Years of wishing, weeks of begging, and days of packing had all led up to this. Chestnut Hill. THE elite equestrian boarding school. Haylee, ever since she had been little, had been a pony girl. Her notebooks were full of doodles – horses galloping, jumping courses, horseshoes, and foals. Since age 8, she had trained with Mac Taylor, a previous World Championships coach, at his stable near her Seattle home.

Haylee took a few steadying breaths, and found Veronica had given her good advice as her heart slowed down slightly. _You're in Virginia now, _she reminded herself, attempting to smooth out her unruly strawberry blonde hair. Her heart sped up again as the Chestnut Hill crest came into view around the curve.

"Mom. We're here!" Haylee rolled down the window of the rental sedan and leaned out, nearly touching the brick gateposts as they passed.

The Chestnut Hill parking lot was a maze of activity – girls unloading, greeting each other, luggage everywhere, parents shouting, and younger siblings envious or heartbroken.

"Want me to come in with you, Hales?" Veronica asked, parking near the entrance. Haylee hesitated. Did she want to in there with her stepmom? Or on her own? Finally, her large amount of luggage and the possibility of a rooming mix up won her over.

"That'd be great," said Haylee with a grateful smile. V smiled back and got out of the car, popping the trunk. She helped Haylee pull out her bags – a rolling pilot case, a smaller replica, and carryon duffel. The mint green set was a going-to-boarding-school gift from Haylee's grandmother (Haylee thought she was being overly emotional), very posh and sleek. Rolling the pilot case behind her, Haylee couldn't keep from looking around in amazement as they followed the map from the website to the Adams dorm.

Graceful birches and willows dotted the pristine grass, and smooth slate walkways wound between the elegant buildings. A group of girls sat around a fountain in a circular courtyard, and in the distance, Haylee could hear whinnies and the clipclop of hooves. Haylee squeezed Veronica's hand.

"This is really happening!" she said giddily, laughing.

"I was wondering when spastic happiness would set in," said her stepmom with a smile.

"You're Haylee Parda?" A short, brownhaired woman checked her name off the list.

"I'm Mrs. Herson, your dorm monitor as long as you're in Adams. Now, you'll be in room 12, on the third floor. The stairs will take you up, or the elevator is over there if you must." Mrs. Herson looked around.

"Fiona, can you show Haylee to room twelve? I have triplets coming in."

A tall, pretty redhead walked over.

"Haylee, huh? Are you a rider, too?" Haylee smiled with the recognition of a kindred spirit.

"I've been totally obsessed my whole life. It's like a dream come true to be here. Usually I'm a jumper, cross country, that kind of thing, but I know dressage."

"I'm a jumper, too. Dressage can take some getting used to – I used to hate it when I was your age. But my aunt took me to go see the Lipizzaner show a month before school started, back when I was a sophomore – after that, I definitely saw it in a better light."

"You're here for school, too, Haylee," Veronica reminded her. Haylee smiled sheepishly.

"She thinks I'm destined to win the Nobel Peace Prize or something," she explained to Fiona.

"A man's reach should exceed his grasp," recited Fiona. "One of the first things we learn in English class, here anyway. That's kind of like Chestnut Hill's motto, substituting girl for man, of course. I think there's an official Latin one, but I'm not sure."

Haylee was only half-listening as she gazed in wonder around her. The third floor walls were painted a pale sea green, and the hardwood floors gleamed. Huge paintings of horses hung on the walls, capturing Arabians, Draft Horses, Foals, Appaloosas and ponies on beaches, meadows, or moonswept moors. Most of doors of the rooms they passed were already adorned by their residents, with signs, whiteboards, pictures, bulletin boards, and posters.

"And you'll be right here," finished Fiona, knocking on room 12's door. When no reply came, she opened it, peered in, and gestured Haylee to follow after her. As Haylee entered the room, she gasped. The room was large and airy, a lot bigger than she ever imagined. Since it was the top floor, the roof was vaulted and a huge alcove with a window let the golden sunlight dance over the hardwood floor.

Haylee: .com/gift/thm/thmgrl/thmgrlhen/

Aria: .com/gift/thm/thmgrl/thmgrlman/

Camilla: .com/gift/thm/thmgrl/thmgrlcdl/

There were three loft beds, three dressers, and a large closet took up barely any space in the spacious room, as well as a lounge area in the corner. .com/gift/thm/thmlng/thmlngcsu/

"Wow," Haylee blurted, then blushed when she realized how 'ditzy new girl' she sounded. Fiona gave her a quick grin.

"I said exactly the same thing when I first got here," she said warmly. "Your roommates should be here soon," she added. "You can claim your bed or wait for them – it's probably fine either way. I'll see you around in the stables, then!" And with a bright smile and a wave, she swept back out the door, no doubt to use the elevator while Mrs. Herson was occupied with the triplets.

"Well, I don't think you'll be getting homesick," said Veronica, looking around. "This has to be bigger than your room back home." Haylee grinned.

"Just a little. It's going to be so much fun, like a year-long sleepover."

"Now, don't stay up until 1 every night, okay," said V warily. Haylee could imagine what was going through her head.

"No worries. From what the brochure said, I'll be too busy studying. I just hope one of my roommates isn't a total snob…"

"Not talking about me, are you?" came a teasing voice from the doorway. "OMG, this place is huge! Do you think all the rooms are like this?"

Haylee whirled around to see a girl with a chic light blonde bun and blue eyes standing in the door way, staring in amazement around the dorm.

"If it isn't, we hit the biggest jackpot ever," replied Haylee with a smile. "I'm Haylee Parda."

"Aria Donovan," said the girl, smiling and coming in. "This is so cool. My parents were convinced I was bringing too much stuff – I can't wait to text them! I flew over by myself, you see – my dad's the American ambassador to Wales and we've been living there for close to a year, so I took the nonstop by myself."

"It must be gorgeous there," said Veronica. "I'm Veronica, Haylee's stepmom."

"Nice to meet you," said Aria with a dazzling smile. "I'm sure Haylee will miss you tons."

"I don't know about that," Veronica said with a laugh. "Say, though, hon, I've got to go if I'm going to make it through security in time for my flight – do you think you'll be okay with Aria?"

"Mom, I'll be fine, okay? I'm not going to run off and get kidnapped!"

"That's my girl. I'll see you at Thanksgiving, okay? Jamie will want to hear all about Chestnut Hill."

"Sure thing," said Haylee, inwardly wincing at the thought of her hyperactive horse-crazy 9 y/o 3rd cousin. (Hey, she had a big family) Veronica departed with one last wave, and Aria and Haylee were left alone.

"So," said Aria easily, setting her suitcases beside Haylee's, "should we sumo wrestle over who gets which bed or what?"

"You're deciding beds without me! Guys, it's like the number 2 rule of being roommates that everyone discusses this calmly and rationally. I thought everyone knew that one." A tall, slim African American girl with shoulder length dark hair strode in, pulling purple striped suitcases behind her. "And to think, I've already ditched my parents. Where's moral support when you need it?" Haylee warmed immediately to this energetic newcomer.

"I'm Haylee Parda,"she said, smiling.

"And I'm Aria Donovan," chimed in Aria. "Resident VIP."

"I thought I was the VIP around here," complained Haylee.

"Well, excuse you, but I'M the only VIP in this neck of the woods," the brown-hair girl said in an affected Southern drawl. "Didn't ya hear? Camilla Hathaway is _the _It girl right now."

This took the three girls over the edge, and they collapsed laughing.

"Okay, now I really want to know," said Aria, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "What's the FIRST rule of being roommates?" Camilla looked mischievous.

"Dibs everything really, really fast," she announced, standing up. "Bed closest to the door is mine!"

"I'm in the middle!" yelled Aria, sprinting over.

"And, hmmm, which bed do I want today…." Haylee mused loudly. "Oh, I sense in tremors of the universe I'm meant to be in the one farthest from the door. Oh, hey, it's the only one left. Man, I'm psychic." Camilla just giggled mischievously.

"Say, what does your guys bed stuff look like?" asked Aria, digging around in her bag.

"I've had mine for practically three days – my old bed is a queen size, so I had to get new," said Camilla, pulling out some tied plastic bags. "Sheets…" she pulled out bright turquoise sheets, "then this totally awesome duvet cover we found online," accompanied the appearance of a black duvet cover with multicolored dots. "I can't wait to sleep tonight – can you believe I've never slept on a top bunk? Total new experience." After a quick examination of Haylee's sea green collection and Aria's posh British pink & tangerine set, the subject soon returned to each other.

"You're both 13, then?" asked Haley curiously as she unzipped her suitcase.

"I am – my birthday was in March," said Camilla, fanning herself with a neon folder.

"Mine was two weeks ago," said Aria cheerfully, starting to stack her textbooks on the desk under her bed. "I'm probably the youngest seventh grader here." Haylee shrugged.

"No worries, mine was in July. You're only a few months younger."

"It feels like years," sighed Aria. "I'm always the youngest in classes, riding –"

"Ahh!" Haylee ran over to Aria and hugged her. "I'm not the only barn-crazy one here!"

"Helloooo? I ride too! You Brits are such attention hoggers!" Camilla pretended to pout, but quickly joined the group hug.

"Oh my god, this is going to be so much fun. I can't wait to ride – I think our first lesson is tomorrow, right?" Haylee returned to her suitcase and started piling the folded clothes in stacks around her.

"Unfortunately," said Camilla glumly.

"Do we have it together?" said Aria quickly. "I applied for Intermediate. Hopefully I can get onto the Competing Team…" The three girls grabbed their schedules and compared swiftly.

"Yes!" cheered Aria.

"Practically everything but Computer and English Lit are together," said Haylee, scanning the lists.

"Yeah, Aria, yours are reversed. Bummer." Camilla gave a quick smile.

"Not a biggie. It's drama that should be loads of fun," said Aria, shrugging.

"Really? I haven't heard much about it," said Haylee, leaning in.

"My cousin, Felicity Harper, went here – they added it the year she was a sophomore. It's supposed to be AMAZING. They put on this fully costumed, makeuped, special effects play at the end of the year, and the class performs at school exhibitions, there's improv championships, and," Aria lowered her voice and glanced around surreptitiously, "_sometimes _they take fieldtrips up to Broadway."

"Omigod! Are you kidding!" squealed Camilla.

"Can you imagine?" Haylee saw herself, actually AT Broadway, seeing famous actresses perform the songs she heard on the Theater radio station her mom listened to in the car.

Aria nodded wisely.

"It's going to be amazing. Now, does the schedule say anything about dinner? I am totally starved, it's 10 pm to me, remember." Camilla and Haylee shot her confused glances.

"Wales in five hours ahead. I need food!!!" Aria explained.

"It says, um, dinner in the lounge at 5:15 – Orientation during. Well, you're in luck, Aria. We have fifteen minutes to figure out where the lounge is."

"Aw, honey, we don't need to find it," drawled Camilla, smiling impishly. "We follow someone who looks like they know where they're going."

As Haylee laughed and linked arms with them, striding down the hallway and down the stairs, she felt a rush of adrenaline surging through her. She was officially a Chestnut Hill girl.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, peeps, even though this has only had ONE review – apparently Heartland is not so popular – I'm posting a short second chapter, introducing the next three Chestnut Hill girls. I forgot to put in that Veronica married Haylee's dad 18 months ago.**

The lounge, like everything else at Chestnut Hill, was classy and comfortable. Sleek chocolate brown suede couches popped against the light wood floor and mint green walls, accessorized with bright red or purple pillows. The couches and the contrasting golden brown armchairs were loosely grouped into conversation huddles around mahogany coffee tables. Girls dotted the room, sitting in groups of three or four, laughing and talking freely.

"I hear they have pizza every year," said Aria, leading them over to an unoccupied grouping of couches. "It's, like, a tradition here."

"Nice tradition," said Camilla appreciatively. "You'd think they'd have horsehair soup or something, though."

"Hey!" mock protested Haylee. "It's not only horsehair around here, missy. They've got some kind of field hockey, I hear."

"Wow," said Aria flatly. "Such fun."

"Do you mind if we sit with you?" Haylee looked up to see three other girls standing together behind the opposite couch.

"Sure," said Aria, waving graciously. The three girls smiled and took a seat.

"You're from Room 12, right?" said one of them, smiling. She had layered chocolate brown hair, a shade lighter than the couches, with lighter highlights, and large brown eyes.

"Yep. Totally best room in the place. Bummer you guys missed out," said Camilla sweetly. One of the girls laughed.

"No way. Room 11 is totally the best. I mean, wasn't there a memo?" shot back the Asian girl with a grin.

"Whoopsies, was that the one I threw in the paper shredder?" replied Aria without missing a beat. Haylee laughed at their antics.

"I'm Haylee Parda," she introduced herself. "And this is Camilla Hathaway and Aria Donovan."

"Selena Carlton," said the brunette with a smile, shaking hands.

"Mei-Lin Wong," added the Asian girl. "But call me Mei. It's so much easier."

"And I'm Imogen Taylor," added the third girl. She looked rather like Aria – the slim, delicate frame, fine hair, and quick smile. Her hair was a deep gold and it was in a high ponytail, further enhancing the similarity.

"It's like looking in a mirror," she added, flashing a smile at Aria. Aria raised her chin regally.

"Oooh, so it's my fault you got my stunning hair?" Camilla was just about to jump in when Mrs. Herson entered, carrying a monstrous stack of pizza boxes, staggering slightly under the weight. The smell of mozzarella and hot tomato sauce swept into the room, making Haylee's stomach growl loudly.

"Hawaiian, Extra Cheese, Pepperoni, Veggie, and Combo," Mrs. Herson called out, setting the boxes on a long wooden table by the door.

"Sodas are in the minifridge."

"I'm grabbing pepperoni," said Camilla, jumping into line with amazing speed. "What about you guys?"

"No way. Too spicy," said Mei, making a face. "Hawaiian is _totally_ me. Pinapple rocks!" Imogen shook her head.

"_Fruit_ on pizza? Blech. I'm having veggie. Got to keep up the figure, you know," she added, pretending to look sternly at her stomach.

"Oooh, stop talking, you're making me feel fat," complained Aria, grabbing a piece of extra cheese. This received giggles from the other girls; Aria was the tiniest of all of them.

"Combo sounds awesome," said Selena shrugging, snatching a paper plate.

"No mindreading!" protested Haylee, laughing.

It crossed her mind that for once, everything was going perfectly. She hadn't spilled half a quart of ice cream down anyone's shirt (think family reunion, annoying great aunts, and embarrassing questions) or tripped or totally made a klutz of herself. Not to mention there were at least fifty other horse-crazy people sitting twenty feet away.

They had just made it back to their seat with their diet Cokes (vanilla, cherry, lime, and lemon) when the lights dimmed and Mrs. Hawthorne (I can't remember her name) walked to the front of the room, where a desk, mike, and elegant floor lamp stood silently.

She smiled at everyone, her warm brown eyes taking in everything.

"Welcome to Chestnut Hill. For some of you, it will be your last year here. For some of you there are many more years to go. And for forty lucky applicants, this is the first of many."

The room burst into applause. Mrs. Hawthorn held up her hand.

"Now, it's my duty to remind you as your headmistress that you need to keep your grades up. Slip below a B average and you'll need to talk to me. That said, Chestnut Hill is a place to realize your dreams. I fully expect budding Broadway stars, Pulitzer-prize winning authors, famous artists, and Olympic riders in every one of you."

Haylee grinned back at Aria, who was practically bouncing in her seat.

"Usually we have our teachers say a few words, but unfortunately, there were some last minute details they had to take care of. So, next up we have our director of riding, Ms. Ali Carmichael!" Mrs. Hawthorne stepped away from the mike as a woman wearing a sleek green sweater stepped up to take her place.

"Hello, everyone. This should be a fun year – we have a whole new seventh grade competing team to look forward to, and a whole new show circuit. We'll be doing some joint shows this year; St. Kit's and Allbrights' have kindly agreed to participate. So, I'll see you all in the stable!" Amid cheers and clapping, Ms. Carmichael exited the pool of light cast by the lamp. As the lights flickered back to life, the crowd of girls rose from the couches and made for the door – making it into the hall moments before the tidal wave of people clogged up their exit. Haylee strolled down the hall, breathing the cool, still air and listening to them talk.

"I am soo excited for tomorrow," said Camilla with a sigh. "I can't wait to see Cobalt – he's my Irish Sport Horse. I haven't ridden for days – I cannot _wait _for our lesson tomorrow!"

"I know what you mean," added Selena. "I haven't seen Xanadu in 2 days!" she turned to the others. "I live in Maryland, so we were able to lease her from my stable and trailer her up here. Hopefully she's settling in okay."

"We were leasing, too, but we didn't want to have to fly my horse out. Besides, my instructor says he might be a little big for me," said Mei. "He was, like, 17 hands."

The girls paused in the hallway, between the two rooms.

"I'll see you in the morning," said Haylee with a smile.

"You, too," replied Imogen warmly, opening the dorm room door and going inside.

All anxious for the next day to start, the three brushed their teeth quickly and settled into their newly made beds, lying still in the lofty room.

"Good Night," whispered Aria.

"G'night," whispered Haylee.

"Go to sleep," mumbled Camilla, turning over loudly.

Haylee smothered her giggles and settled down to sleep.

**If anyone is reading this besides Little~Evil~Leprechaun, go to my profile and vote on the POV poll! (I had already started this chap, so it's Haylee again in this one.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, okay, I know I haven't updated in forever, so you guys get an EXTRA long chapter today **** (Oh, and just so you know, my sister killed our wireless internet machine thing, soooo, yah….)**

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! It's Monday! YOU GUYS! Omigod! MondayMondayMondayMonday!"

Haylee cracked one eye open to see Aria jumping up and down in front of the window, peering out onto the misty hills of campus.

"We…weren't…..aware…of…that…fascinating…factoid….." came Camilla's groggy voice from across the room. Haylee giggled despite herself.

"What time is it?" she asked Aria wearily, shielding her eyes from the beams of pale sunlight shining through the windows. Aria looked embarrassed.

"Um….well…..heheh….yeah….about that….."

"Aria!" groaned Camilla, covering her head with the covers. "Don't tell me you –"

"It's only 4:45!" pleaded Aria. "Over in England it's already 9 –"

"4:45?" moaned Haylee, burrowing deeper into her comforter. "Our riding lesson isn't until 7!"

"Well, now we have time to…um…accessorize?" said Aria hopefully.

"Oh, I'm saved! Now I have a whole extra hour to decide which belt to wear!" grumbled Camilla, who seemed to have rolled herself and her blankets into a kind of burrito.

Despite Camilla's complaints (she was, apparently, not a morning person) Haylee had to admit it was nice not to rush; after all, the three had managed to shower, do their hair, get dressed, and still be first in line at breakfast.

They sat at a window table, yawning over their loaded trays, while Camilla complained about the lack of Starbucks.

"Caffeine isn't good for your body," muttered Aria, yawning hugely.

"Sleep deprivation isn't good for your body!" shot back Camilla.

"Oh, what time did _you_ get up this morning?" asked Mei, dropping into an empty seat next to Haylee.

"4:45," said Haylee, stretching sleepily.

"We got woken up at 4, thanks to SELENA," said Imogen pointedly, looking at Selena, who indeed, looked a little more hyper than the other two.

"You people would have gotten up at 10, if you had your way," said Selena airily, waving a piece of cinnamon raisin twists. "Plus these little yummy crumpet things would have gotten scoffed before we got here."

"I want one," said Mei, pretending to pout, and stole another piece of pastry off the stack on Selena's plate. "Selena is our chowhound," she told Haylee conspiringly. Haylee had to agree – Selena's loaded tray included toast, pastries, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, melon, and cereal, along with a tall mug of hot chocolate. "She brought lots of excellent junk food though, so we can't complain," she explained with a wink.

"I heard that," said Selena, unconcerned. "I have a fast metabolism."

"Me, too!" said Aria, pleased.

"Lucky," said Camilla distractedly, checking her watch. "Do you think the _lesson _starts at seven, or do we need to _be _there at seven?" The five other girls considered this.

"Lesson," Imogen decided. "We should be there early to tack up. Hey, I know at my old stable we had to muck out after lessons – but we have biology right after, don't we?"

"I think the grooms do that," said Aria, wrinkling her forehead. "Felicity said that mucking is mostly punishment." She shrugged. "I don't mind mucking, but getting to skip shovelinghorse poop – I mean, I'm not going to complain."

"Well, hurry and eat and we'll head over. I know where to go, because we dropped off Cobalt yesterday – he pooped practically all the way to his stall, it was so embarrassing." Camilla cringed at the memory. "Anyway, it's super close by."

After they had all finished with their breakfast, Camilla led them down the cafeteria steps and through the early morning mist to a huge stone building, looking eerie in the gray morning light.

"My dad took _forever _to find this place," she explained, leading them inside. "He somehow managed to miss the thirty billion signs and end up at the field hockey stadium, or whatever you call it.

Haylee barely heard Camilla as she continued the running commentary on her dad's incredible lack of direction – she was staring around the stable, stunned. Large glossy light fixtures illuminated their surroundings: Rows upon rows of shiny wooden stalls lining the wide, haystrewn aisle, each stall adorned with gleaming nameplates and a silver saddle rack mounted on the wall.

"That's to put your tack on while you groom your horse." Camilla pointed to the saddle rack, leading the girls past what seemed like miles of well-groomed horse heads emerging from the stalls.

The barn, as Haylee figured out, was actually _two _L shapes in a rough rectangle, with a large courtyard in between for cooling off the horses, or hanging out, as Mei added.

"And, hey! Here's the list!" Mei and Aria raced ahead toward the tack room, the open door providing glimpses of polished saddles – and the riding assignments. Camilla and Selena, meanwhile, were consulting a list from Camilla's pocket as to where their horses had been stabled.

"Cobalt's in A15 – we're in Barn A – and Xanadu is in A21. Hey! We're barn buddies!" said Selena cheerfully.

"Um, _all _of us are barn buddies," called back Imogen from up ahead. "The middle school horses are in A and the high school horses are in B. I think there are some overlaps, but we should all be in here, somewhere."

"Yep, my horsie, um, how do you pronounce this, 'floour' is in A12," said Aria, consulting the list.

"You mean f-l-e-u-r?" asked Haylee, thinking this sounded a little French.

"Yep. Isn't that some kind of Harry Potter person?" asked Mei, still searching for her own name.

"It's pronounced Fler," Haylee explained. "She was a French girl in Goblet of Fire."

"Okay, Imogen, you're A19, I'm A29, and Haylee, you're A25," called Selena. "Down that side, I think," she added, looking down the other hallway of the L. "It's in the 50's and 60's the way we came."

Haylee found A25 quickly, a shiny stall bearing the nameplate "Titannia". She dumped her tote bag outside and let herself in through the door.

"Taaaaaaaaaaaanya," she called softly, her voice echoing in the large stall. With a slight huff, a long-legged black mare stepped up to meet her, the star on her forehead bright white.

"Hey, girl," she cooed, gently stroking her neck. Titannia butted Haylee's hand, sniffing eagerly, searching for treats. Haylee laughed.

"Not today, girl," she told the mare, taking her purple halter and clipping the matching leadrope to it. As she let herself and Titannia out of the stall, she saw Camilla, Mei, and Selena had already gotten their horses.

Camilla's Irish Sport horse, Cobalt, was a dark blue dappled gelding who shifted impatiently from foot to foot as Camilla brushed him. Selena was paired with a huge bay gelding (Xanadu, Haylee remembered) who looked half asleep. Mei's horse was an Appaloosa, white with chestnut spots (Zinnia, her halter announced.).

"Hey, she's a cutie," said Aria with a smile, leading out an elegant blue roan mare.

"Her name's Titannia," said Haylee, tying up Titannia and grabbing her brush box.

"Mine's Helena," said Mei, securing her and beginning to groom.

"Those are Shakespeare names, aren't they?" asked Imogen, walking beside a silver Arabian. "I spent loads of time at the theater – my mom's an English major." She rubbed her horse's neck. "This is Stardust," she cooed to her horse, which huffed in response.

"Morning, girls," said Ms. Carmichael, striding up the walkway.

"Morning!" the girls chorused, sharing excited furtive looks at each other.

"Today is your first day at Chestnut Hill. Today will be an example of what your life here will be like. Team tryouts will be in a week, and will determine your riding schedule. For now, until you are sorted, you, along with two other girls, will be riding at 7 am with me, every morning. We will rotate between dressage, jumping, and cross-country – I want all of you to compete at least once in three day eventing. You'll practice outside of class, of course, but you must have at least two other riders with you, and can't jump fences higher than 28 inches, understood?"

The girls nodded. Ms. Carmichael smiled.

"I'll see you in the arena, then," she said, and turned, striding slowly down the hall before she rounded the corner, and was out of sight.

The instant she was gone, the girls immediately started talking.

"Omigod!" squealed Aria, whizzing the dandy brush over Helena so fast it seemed a blur.

"This is going to be so AMAZING!" giggled Mei.

In record time, the girls had groomed, tacked, and mounted their horses, clipclopping through the courtyard toward the covered arena. As with the barn, it was stone, and so enormous that the girls gaped around them as they entered. Soft gray sand stretched away from under the horses' hoofs, and hanging lights illuminated a brightly colored jumping course. Ms. Carmichael and a girl atop a pure white mare waited in the near corner. She turned at the sounds of the hoofbeats, smiling.

"This is Natasha," she explained, gesturing to the dark-haired girl, who gave a small wave. "I just heard from Ms. Harrington that Renee is sick today, so we'll proceed without her." She gestured around to the arena.

"You'll warm up with three laps around the arena. Work on transitions between walk and trot, and then progress to transitioning to a canter. Try to change gaits in as few strides as possible."

Natasha whirled her horse around and took off, heading briskly along the left wall of the arena. Selena followed her, then Aria, and Haylee guided Titannia in place behind her. Once there were about five horselengths between her and Aria, Haylee squeezed her legs against Titannia's sides.

Titannia jerked her head up and zoomed into a fast trot, quickly gaining on Fleur. Haylee tightened the reins, and deepened her seat. Titannia tried to stretch her neck out, but Haylee kept the reins taught, collecting her. The mare huffed, but slowed to a measured trot, her gait crisp and bouncy. Haylee managed to complete her laps without incident, finally able to make Titannia pay attention to her.

"Nice job," said Ms. Carmichael with a smile. "Now, I want to ask a few questions." She turned to Natasha.

"Natasha, what was one thing you and Sunbeam could work on?"

"I thought Sunbeam wouldn't pay attention," she answered nervously, fidgeting with her reins.

"And why was that?" continued Ms. Carmichael. Natasha blushed bright red.

"I was too focused on the other riders. I gave him indecisive cues." Ms. Carmichael nodded.

"Haylee?" Haylee took a deep breath.

"Titannia and I aren't always working together. My cues were too strong and she reacted. We need to be a team," Haylee answered, hesitant. Ms. Carmichael smiled.

"Good. Aria?"

As the girls answered, Haylee listened with growing happiness. After her struggle with Titannia, she had worried about falling behind the other girls, but as she listened to Aria's transition problems with Fleur, Imogen's difficulty with keeping Stardust collected, and Camilla's battle to keep Cobalt from lagging, she realized that this was normal – of course, no one could arrive here perfect. They had strengths and weaknesses, all of them.

"Next up, we'll try the jumping course," said Ms. Carmichael, gesturing to the U-shaped layout of jumps. "Who wants to go first?" Haylee immediately raised her hand. She loved jumping, and she guessed Titannia would be good at it, with her long legs.

"Haylee, you're first then. Whenever you're ready."

Haylee circled Titannia behind the other horses and straightened out fifteen feet away from the first jump – a simple cross rail, maybe two feet high. A quick glance told her that the jumps got harder, and much higher during the course. It was a test of endurance, Haylee realized. The best way was to take it slow at first, and then ramp it up.

She squeezed her legs to Titannia's sides, and the mare leapt into a swift trot, breaking into a canter a few seconds later. Titannia jumped the crossrail easily, and quickened her stride leading to the next jump – an in-and-out combination. Haylee tightened the reins, and Titannia's legs slowed, giving her the time she needed to soar over the in-and-out. Titannia leapt the next three verticals with ease, nearly at the end of the course, when Haylee saw, only yards away, the arced spread. Three poles arranged in an upside down V – it was the trickiest jump in the whole course. The final vertical, right after the spread, was high, but not as difficult to time.

Haylee gulped. To go clear, she had to time this perfectly. If they took off too soon, they'd knock the last rail. If they left too early, Titannia would hit the first pole with her knees. Titannia's ears flicked back and forth, and her head started weaving. Haylee tightened the reins and squeezed gently, Titannia tried to get her feet under her, but it was too late – t hey were jumping the spread. Haylee could feel the mare stretching under her, trying not to hit the rails, but as Titannia's hooves hit the soft sand, she could hear the '_thunk_' of hooves hitting a rail. She gritted her teeth and focused on the last vertical. _.One._

This time, Haylee and Titannia soared over the massive jump with inches to spare. Haylee slowed the mare to a collected trot, and headed back over to where the instructor and girls were waiting. Ms. Carmichael looked Haylee over.

"Girls," she said to the riders behind her, "what can Haylee improve?"

Selena raised her hand.

"Yes?" said Ms. Carmichael.

"She and Titannia were mostly working as a team, but Titannia got distracted before the spread. Haylee got her to focus just in time." What? But Titannia had hit the rail! Mei spoke.

"Her seat is good, maybe if she sat deeper Titannia would be more collected?"

"Yes," agreed Imogen. "Taut reins and a deep seat should bring Titannia's hindquarters under her."

Ms. Carmichael nodded. "Exactly. Selena, you next."

Camilla, Haylee decided, was an okay jumper. She could be much better if Cobalt would keep a steady gait. She watched closely as Camilla approached the in-and-out, feeling relieved and sorry when Cobalt clipped the last rail.

"At least I wasn't the only one," whispered Haylee to Aria, as Camilla cleared the vertical.

"What are you talking about?" hissed Aria, looking confused.

"To hit the rail! On the in and out," answered Haylee, similarly confused.

"But you didn't!" exclaimed Aria. "You clipped it, but it didn't fall!" Haylee felt a rush of relief.

"Well?" Camilla asked the other girls as she trotted up.

"Impulsion," said Mei immediately.

"Yep," said Selena.

"Ditto," answered Aria.

"Unfortunately," replied Imogen with a small smile.

"Sorry," Haylee told her.

Next was Aria, who took the course with surprising fire considering her peaceful attitude. However, Helena needed more guidance, they all agreed, and Aria nodded, obviously taking mental notes.

Mei was collected, cool, imperturbable – but she lacked fire and intensity.

Selena looked almost too relaxed – much of the feedback involved anticipating future jumps.

Natasha, Haylee decided, needed more lessons. While she managed to clip only one rail, her technique would get points docked in a competition.

Imogen was good. But she and Stardust weren't together, and that could cause MAJOR problems. Imogen promised to work more with her horse, patting his neck lovingly.

"You should get to biology now," said Ms. Carmichael with a sigh. "You'll need to practice after school today to get ready for tomorrow's lesson. Think about your feedback and how you can learn from it. Kate and Rachel will take your horses."

"Wow," said Imogen, as they walked out of the barn into the bright morning sunshine.

"I know what you mean," said Aria wondrously, eyes starry.

"That. Was. AMAZING!" squealed Mei, her long dark hair bouncing.

"What do you think of your horses?" Haylee asked, curious to see what the others thought.

"Fleur is an airhead," said Aria thoughtfully. The other girls burst out laughing. "No, it's true. I'm serious. She's a total flirt – did you see how she sidled up to Cobalt?"

"Cobalt is too much of a jock to be snared by feminine wiles," proclaimed Camilla. She fluttered her eyelashes. "Except me."

"Titannia is ah-mazing, except, like Fleur, she has the attention span of three ants," added Haylee.

"Stardust is the total opposite! I'll be heading for the double oxer and he's still thinking about the in and out!" exclaimed Imogen.

"Xanadu gets scared at everything," said Selena, rolling her eyes. "Oh no! A speck of dust! He practically jumped in place."

All around them, girls flooded the flagstone paths, chattering, comparing bags, hurriedly counting schoolbooks.

"Camilla, me and Haylee all have biology," said Aria. "What about you guys?"

"Advanced math," said Mei, making a face. "My mom signed me up."

"We have bio, too!" said Selena, gesturing to her and Imogen.

"Great," sighed Mei. "Math AND no friends. Wait, there's Chesterwood Hall. Gotta go. See you guys!" Mei rushed off down a side path and toward a huge white building.

"Biology's in Winchester Hall," said Camilla. "And that would be…right behind us!"

Luckily, the big brick building that was Winchester was only steps behind them.  
"Hurry up," panted Haylee as she jogged up the steps.

"This is like Stairmaster or something," complained Selena as she scurried up behind.

"We have to get good seats, though," said Imogen. "I do _not _want to sit behind some six-foot basketball player."

"Agreed," panted Aria, bursting through the doors into a crowded atrium.

"And….now where do we go?" wheezed Camilla.

"Ugh!" gasped Aria.

"Trial and error," said Haylee with a shrug, and set off down the long and winding maze of hallways.

**R&R! This is almost 3,000 words! **** Any suggestions for the next chapter? Should all six girls make the team? AND more importantly, do you want me to make a Chestnut Hill OC forum? **** And remember to push that little green button!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Well, _that_ was terribly exciting," said Aria sarcastically, heading up the path for the cafeteria.

"How can you not be absolutely **fascinated **by the homebrewing methods used by Prohibition opponents?" asked Imogen innocently, opening her dark blue eyes very wide.

"Hilarious, Miia," said Mei, switching her backpack to the other shoulder.

"Miia?" Haylee asked, one eyebrow raised. (It took a great deal of practicing in the mirror)

"My new nickname for Imogen. Momo and Geeny are terribly awkward sounding," Mei explained, looking pleased with herself.

"Clever," said Selena absently, yawning hugely. "Do I get one?"

"Lili," Mei decided, pronouncing it Leelee. Selena grimaced.

"I'll pass," said Camilla hastily, running up to them hurriedly, her Prada tote flapping behind her. "Sorry, stayed after class a minute to talk to someone."

"You're having trouble with homework ALREADY?" asked Haylee, disbelieving. Camilla hesitated.

"A….umm….guy," she admitted finally.

"MILLA!" Mei attacked her with a huge bear hug. "THIS IS MOMENTOUS NEWS, YOUNG PADOWAN!"

Imogen stared at her. "Mei…are you….feeling…you know….umm…okaaaaaay?"

"Shut up, Miia," Mei shot back.

"But seriously," said Imogen, "Who was he?"

"This guy named Paul," said Camilla shyly. "He had this really cute brown hair….and he said I was funny."

Aria grinned.

"Encouraging signs. We met this guy – who was he, Hayhay, some Twilight name….Max, I think – and he tried to tell us all about DRESSAGE movements….idiot. Imogen started in on half-pass techniques, and the guy practically _paled_. After bio, we asked around, turns out he's on the YEARBOOK staff. Sheesh."

"We're convinced he has a crush on one of us," Selena added. "We were all arguing about whether it was me, Haylee, or Aria."

"Ex-cuh-use me?" said Imogen indignantly. "What about _meeee_?" She swung her shiny blonde waves slowly, like a shampoo commercial, the locks glinting in the bright sun. Haylee felt grateful for her tissue-thin Moschino tee: the temperature had skyrocketed since seven, the 80 degree heat unusual for mid-September.

"Uh, Imogen...there's no easy way to say this, but….no one _really _likes you," said Selena, looking at her mournfully. "I'm so sorry," she added sadly.

"Shut up!" squealed Imogen playfully, chasing her up the lawn.

As they stepped inside the cafeteria, the immense crowd inside overwhelmed Haylee. Hundreds of 7th through 12th graders stood in lines, buzzed over tables, or dumped recycled paper trays into the shiny stainless steel garbage cans. Apparently much of the student body did NOT get woken up at 5 in the morning.

"It's tacos today," said Camilla, sniffing for a moment. "Yum." Imogen wrinkled her nose.

"No thanks, I'm getting a salad and snagging us a table, okay?"

"Deal," called Selena over her shoulder, making a beeline for the refried beans station.

"How do you think you're going to do at tryouts?" Mei asked her as they got in line. Selena looked sheepish.

"Cobalt and I need A LOT more practice."

"I know – me and Titannia need soooo much more practice time," said Haylee with a groan, snagging a burrito and an apple. Aria popped up at Haylee's elbow, "I'm going to go keep Imogen company," she told them, balancing her loaded tray. "See ya in a few."

"I'm done," Camilla said, and followed her over to a sunny wooden table. A few minutes later, Haylee, Selena, and Mei followed her.

Imogen looked pleased with herself, sitting up very straight over her chef's salad, a smug smile spread across her face.

"I've got news," she announced gleefully, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"WHAT?" Aria demanded immediately.

"Well…." Imogen watched them, making sure they were all listening, then dropped her voice. "Top secret party. Tonight, in the Blackwell upper common room." Haylee's jaw dropped.

"Blackwell….is one of the _guys'_ dorms," she whispered, looking to see if anyone heard.

"Ohmygod!" Camilla hissed. "Are you serious?" Imogen leaned onto her elbows.

"Heard it from the guys myself. Apparently…only _some_ people are invited."

"_All _of us?" asked Selena cautiously, biting her lip.

"Apparently we made the cut," said Imogen smugly.

"I. Can. NOT. Believe. This," said Mei, giggling. "We just got invited to a top secret party in the guys dorm on our FIRST DAY HERE!"

"Keep it down," said Camilla quietly. "Now.." Her eyes glinted. "We need to discuss what we're wearing."

Imogen laughed. "Dress code is creative black tie." The sparkle in her eyes matched the one in Camilla's.

"Apparently they party classily here at Chestnut Hill."

"I have the perfect Christian LaCroix ballet flats," whispered Aria happily, munching some tomatoes from her taco.

"We'll have a full on dressing party later, after class," Mei offered. "Room 101?" She glanced quickly at her roomies, making sure it was all right.

"Sure," said Selena with a shrug. "I made my bed this morning."

"So it's settled then. 6:30, after study hall. We don't have lessons the this afternoon," said Imogen, with an air of finality. "Bring your most _gorgeous_ finery."

Haylee stood in front of her closet, unsure what to take as Aria and Camilla quickly stuffed dozens of dresses and tops and skirts and shoeboxes into bags.

"Just take it all," said Camilla with a grin, heading for the door. "Here." She tossed her a huge Macy's bag.

Haylee grinned back. "I'm on it."

Room 101 looked much like 102, except for the duvets and photographs covering the walls. Clothes covered nearly every available surface, strewn over chairs and beds and desks. Teetering on a stack of fat textbooks was a tray of cookies and dried apples. Mei was twirling around in a silky purple shirt and velvet shortshorts, and Selena was on the floor, applying a lint-roller to a flowered headband. Imogen was dancing around to "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry.

"Hey, people!" squealed Camilla, dropping her bags and hugging Selena.

"Wondering where you were," said Imogen with a grin, trotting over to inspect the contents of Haylee's bag.

"Hayhay!" she pulled out an emerald green raw silk miniskirt. "You should totally wear this tonight!"

"With this!" Aria tossed her a black shiny tanktop with a slouchy cowl neck. "It'd look totally amazing."

"Selena-girl!" Camilla riffled through racks of Selena's clothes. "I want to steal your whole closet!"

"Has anyone seen my curling iron?" yelled Mei over the music.

"Focus, girls!" sang Imogen, slipping on a silk bathrobe and starting on her foundation, shooting them a smile. "We have an hour to become totally ah-mazing."


End file.
